Thousands of people gathered together from across the world for the 195th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
April 6 marks 195 years since the Restoration of The Gospel of Jesus Christ and when the Church was first organized.
“I promise that individuals “who prayerfully study the message of the Restoration and act in faith will be blessed [through the power of the Holy Ghost] to gain their own witness of its divinity and of its purpose to prepare the world for the promised Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ," said Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve.
A common theme that was spoken about, is that repentance is a gift, not a punishment.
“Yes, your repentance doesn’t burden Jesus Christ; it brightens his joy,” said Sister Tamara W. Runia, the First counselor in the Young Women's General Presidency.
“This world tells us we are too tall, too short, too wide, too narrow, not smart, pretty, or spiritual enough. Through spiritual transformation in Jesus Christ, we can escape debilitating perfectionism," said Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
For many in attendance, these messages felt personal.
“I felt a lot of comfort in their words...Sometimes we can feel pain and a lot of worry about what will happen with our life or where we are going to fit but when we put repentance everything is worth it," said conference attendee Fernanda Mollocondo.
11-year-old Sebastian Delgato came to Conference with his family. This was his second time attending general conference in-person.
“Jesus created the Church and he suffered because so he can create us as a good person,” Delgato said.
“By far, God’s strongest mortal help was His provision of a Savior, Jesus Christ, who would suffer to pay the price and provide forgiveness for repented sins," President Oaks said.
And, shortly after the first session, people are already filing in with their families, getting ready for the Sunday evening session.